Alyssa Gorman

Choosing to focus on the positive and everyday experiences in life, I aim to make my paintings relatable for a wider audience and capture the essence of what it is to be human.  For me, this is found in the unexciting and mundane. I believe this is where humans spend most time and is the most accurate reflection of humanity. I paint domestic scenes on industrial objects found in the home, such as wood panels and drywall. I find pleasure in recycling discarded materials and painting moments in which are often forgotten as well. My paintings of colorfully pedestrian scenes find humor and beauty in the ordinary: in the cast shadows of figures, sunset lighting, and innate anatomical musculature. I take inspiration from traditional Baroque and 1600 Dutch Netherland paintings in terms of emphasis in dramatic side lighting, anatomy, and compositions. Close familial relationships and strong parental figures are a common theme in my work. I find pleasure in both the tangible as a painting ground and in domestic hand held objects, as they depict being present in the physical experience. Being present in the mundane moments is vitally important to me, as there is no substitute for being in the present than experiencing the present. I portray mediocre problems in my paintings with humor, as I wish to relate to a wider audience.